RadioComms Asia-Pacific May/June 2013

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May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

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on your wavelength 12

contents

on the cover

Radio Comms Asia-Pacific May/June 2013

ec

ditor’s omment

It’s funny how things work out. Having begun my working life as a VHF and HF radio operator with the then Department of Aviation (now Airservices Australia) way back in the early 1980s, I seem to have come full circle back into the radio field as I take up the editorship of Radio Comms Asia-Pacific!

Those years I spent communicating with pilots flying aircraft throughout Australia and across the Pacific Ocean instilled in me a great appreciation for the importance of radio communications and technology,

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Power to the people

particularly as they applied to safety ser-

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Putting emergency comms to the test

me, so I’m excited to again be involved in

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Antenna system monitoring

26

Radio's polar pioneer

29 Microbatteries a boost for electronics 31

Intelligent responses

36 CommsConnect 2013: get involved

vices. It’s an interest that has never left the public safety comms industry.

We were all shocked by the devastation experienced by Queenslanders during the recent floods and storms. Such events are extremely challenging not only for the public but also for those organisations that provide essential services to them, such as Ergon Energy, Queensland’s electricity provider. In this issue we showcase the fantastic success story of the P25 system that was supplied to Ergon by Auria Wireless just weeks before the floods. The system withstood the onslaught and was instrumental in getting power restored to many districts in a timely fashion.

Make sure you mark the dates 20-22 November 2013 in your diary. That’s when the newly rebadged Comms Connect (formerly Radio Comms Connect) will take place in Melbourne. This year’s event promises to be even bigger than 2012’s, with lots of workshops and keynote addresses from major names in the industry.

I encourage you to get in touch and let me know your thoughts on what’s happening in the radio comms industry. Your ideas and feedback will be warmly received.

My email address is listed below and you can find us on Twitter at twitter.com/ wf_radiocomms, as well as on Facebook

NOW in DIGITAL! Your copy of Radio Comms Asia-Pacific is now available as an online eMag.

http://www.radiocomms.com.au/latest_issues

www.radiocomms.com.au

and Google+.

Jonathan Nally, Editor rc@westwick-farrow.com.au

May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

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on the cover

M

obile services and data-intensive applications demand increasingly powerful communications networks. To meet the throughput requirements of end users, modern wireless standards are frequently enhanced, revealing a number of interesting trends. First, transmission bandwidth is continually growing.

Today, LTE carriers occupy up to 20 MHz of the spectrum. Wireless standards such as WLAN IEEE 802.11ac even have bandwidths of up to 160 MHz. Secondly, several carriers are grouped together and simultaneously used for information transmission. LTEAdvanced, for example, defines aggregation of up to five carriers, yielding a total bandwidth of 100 MHz. All modern wireless communications standards are based on MIMO to increase spectral efficiency, leading to the development of higher-order MIMO (4x2, 4x4, 8x2).

As a result, transmit and receive units of wireless devices and base stations are becoming increasingly complex. A wide variety of different standards and bands must be supported. All of these advances are producing new T&M challenges. Developing and verifying products requires signal generators that are able to meet new requirements and are easy to operate, even with complex tasks. Rohde & Schwarz has reached this goal with the new R&S SMW200A vector signal generator.

The R&S SMW200A generates signals in the frequency range from 100 kHz to 3 GHz or 6 GHz. It features a powerful and flexible baseband section, making it suitable for generating digitally modulated signals required for the development of wideband systems and the verification of 3G and 4G base stations. Thanks to its modular design, the R&S SMW200A can be customised to meet user requirements. Any configuration is possible, from a classic single-path vector signal generator to a multichannel MIMO receiver tester.

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The R&S SMW200A can be equipped with two internal baseband modules, four fading simulator modules and two RF paths. This concept yields two full-featured vector signal generators in a single unit.

If necessary, the baseband section provides up to eight independent signal sources and up to 16 logical faders. This makes the R&S SMW200A suitable for generating multicarrier and multistandard test signals required for LTE Advanced carrier aggregation and the simulation of interferer scenarios - 2x2 MIMO, 8x2 MIMO for TD-LTE or simultaneous 2x2 MIMO for two LTE-Advanced component carriers ‌ even complex MIMO scenarios can be implemented.

The R&S SMW200A offers excellentsignalqualityandissuitable for developing and optimising highend RF and baseband modules.

When equipped with the R&S SMW-B22 option, the SSB phase noise has a value of only -139 dBc (typ.) at 1 GHz carrier frequency and 20 kHz offset. At the same time, nonharmonics are suppressed with up to 90 dB or more. The internal baseband has a 0.05 dB I/Q modulation frequency response over 160 MHz bandwidth. With wideband signals such as 256 QAM modulated WLAN IEEE 802.11ac, an EVM of -49 dB (meas.) is achieved at the signal generator’s RF output. This makes it possible to generate standardcompliant wireless communications signals at a very high level.

The R&S SMW200A significantly reduces test set-up complexity. Since it combines the functions of several instruments in a single signal generator, many potential error sources such as remote operation, cabling and synchronisation are things of the past. The intuitive operating concept helps users accomplish their tasks faster, regardless of their complexity. And its scalability enables users to tailor the signal generator to their applications and to upgrade it as required, making the R&S SMW200A a very safe investment.

Rohde & Schwarz (Australia) Pty Ltd www.rohde-schwarz.com

A.B.N. 22 152 305 336 www.westwick-farrow.com.au Head Office Cnr. Fox Valley Road & Kiogle Street, (Locked Bag 1289) Wahroonga NSW 2076 Australia Ph +61 2 9487 2700 Fax +61 2 9489 1265 Editor Jonathan Nally rc@westwick-farrow.com.au Technical Advisor Mike Smyth Chief Editor Janette Woodhouse Publisher Geoff Hird Art Director/Production Manager Julie Wright Art/Production Tanya Scarselletti, Jeanette Teuma Colleen Sam Circulation Manager Sue Lavery circulation@westwick-farrow.com.au Copy Control Mitchie Mullins copy@westwick-farrow.com.au Advertising Sales VIC, SA, WA - Lachlan Rainey Ph 0402 157 167 lrainey@westwick-farrow.com.au NSW, QLD - Lisa Gilbert Ph 0414 283 933 lgilbert@westwick-farrow.com.au New Zealand - Gemma Burr Ph 0800 442 529 gburr@westwick-farrow.com.au USA - Huson International Media East Coast Ph +1 212 268 3344 West Coast Ph +1 408 879 6666 ralph.lockwood@husonmedia.com UK - Huson International Media Ph +44 1932 56 4999 gerryb@husonmedia.com Asia - Lachlan Rainey Ph +61 (0) 402 157 167 If you have any queries regarding our privacy policy please email privacy@westwick-farrow.com.au Subscriptions: For unregistered readers, price on application

March 2013 total CAB Audited Circulation (Aust + NZ) 4,422 (71% personally requested) Print Post Approved PP100007393 ISSN No. 1448-9201 Printed and bound by Pegasus Print Group +61 2 8822 0716 All material published in this magazine is published in good faith and every care is taken to accurately relay information provided to us. Readers are advised by the publishers to ensure that all necessary safety devices and precautions are installed and safe working procedures adopted before the use of any equipment found or purchased through the information we provide.

Further, all performance criteria was provided by the representative company concerned and any dispute should be referred to them. Information indicating that products are made in Australia or New Zealand is supplied by the source company. Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd does not quantify the amount of local content or the accuracy of the statement made by the source.

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Emergency services

Floods have devastated parts of Queensland in recent years. This is a property near Bundaberg.

© ADF

Power to the people Jonathan Nally

When Ergon Energy needed to upgrade its Queensland-wide communications network, it searched the world for the best solution - and found it right here in Australia.

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hile Auria Wireless and its parent company Etherstack have been kicking goals overseas by winning contracts with major utility companies and emergency radio networks, a major breakthrough back home in the Australian market occurred in 2011 with the Ergon Energy P25 digital radio project contract win.

Ergon Energy is a Queensland government-owned electricity supplier covering 700,000 customers across more than 1 million m2. Its electricity distribution network comprises around 150,000 km of power lines with one million power poles. Ergon also has numerous major substations and power transformers, plus it operates 33 power stations that supply electricity to remote communities not connected to the main grid. It has approximately 5000 employees.

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Auria worked fast. The company was awarded the contract in October 2011; the initial switching centre was deployed just seven months later in May 2012, with initial sites commissioned in June 2012. The first stage, with 20 sites fully commissioned, was achieved in December 2012.

“From award to rolling out 20 sites within 14 months, and including delivery of a whole range of new services that no one else has done before anywhere else in the world, is something we’re very proud of,” said David Deacon, Executive Director of Auria Wireless.

New capabilities Auria developed and provided several new key technologies and services to Ergon. The first of these was a Tier II AVL/

GPS service, which enables a network operator to dynamically change a mobile radio’s trigger settings - for instance, how often it reports its GPS location information.

“That’s really important from a network congestion or traffic control perspective,” said Deacon. “Say there’s an incident, perhaps cyclone damage, and there is a 10-fold increase of mobiles at the serving radio site - you don’t need those mobiles reporting their location every minute or two and causing congestion on the network. You can ‘turn it down’ so they’re reporting their location every 10 or 20 minutes, or report only if they move more than 50 metres from their current location.”

“In that way you can dynamically control the data load on the network so you have more bandwidth available www.radiocomms.com.au

Emergency services

for delivering voice and other services,” added Deacon. “That dynamic control, we believe, is a world-first implementation of a Tier II AVL service on a P25 digital radio network.”

Location, location, location Another Auria innovation is a desktopbased local operations console, or LOC, which integrates Google Earth and an AVL services solution.

Ergon Energy has its own Google enterprise server - effectively its own Google Earth database - that the dozens of LOCs scattered around the state can interrogate for mapping information. This enables operators to overlay extra levels of information on their screens via the LOC application, such as the location of electricity assets, which might be power poles, power lines, transformers, highvoltage lines and so on.

Take as an example a local despatch operator at Toowoomba, who might be managing 15 support vehicles locally. He or she doesn’t have to be sitting in a control room at a big centre in Townsville or Rockhampton; the operator is right down on the local level and can monitor the 10 or 20 field workers he or she is directly responsible for.

That operator at the LOC has the ability to initiate digital voice calls directly from the desktop to those mobile units with just a click on that vehicle’s symbol on the screen. And the solution supports DES and AES-256 encryption, so it’s secure.

Plus, the LOC can display not only the current location of a vehicle, but also historical locations through a time playback mechanism.

“The combination of these technologies has provided Ergon Energy with localised situational awareness and management capability,” said Scott Geldard, Manager of Ergon’s P25 Digital Radio Project. “This will ultimately improve the efficiency of the delivery of those services and also add to safety, as we always know where our workers are and have the ability to rapidly and accurately communicate with them.”

Staying in control Another innovative product developed by Auria was the SCADA P25 RMU (radio modem unit), which Auria says is the world’s first custom-designed industrial control modem for a P25 trunked network. “While other companies have built data modems in the past, they’ve usually just cobbled something together on the www.radiocomms.com.au

© ADF

The Auria LOC display.

"That dynamic control, we believe, is a world-first implementation of a Tier II AVL service on a P25 digital radio network."

side of a radio, whereas the RMU is IP67-rated and can be mounted on pole tops,” said Deacon.

In keeping with the concept of SCADA masters and remotes, the Ergon P25 radio network now has SCADA remotes connected to the Auria RMUs, while inside the network the SCADA master, which controls a lot of the remote devices, is connected to the data service node within the IP core network.

In this way Auria has provided Ergon with a complete, integrated digital voice,

AVL and industrial control data network.

Auria also implemented an advanced prioritisation system that Ergon network operators can control. For example, priority data might be more important than regular voice, but emergency voice might be more important than priority data.

This can be adjusted on a site-by-site basis, which is important because some sites might have lots of channel resources and some might have only a few.

“If you think about what happens, some of that industrial control data May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

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Emergency services

installation, Ergon Energy travelled to North America and looked at both large-scale utilities and public safety networks deployments based on Auria’s Australian technology. “They visited ATCO Electric and asked about their experience dealing with us, and got a thumbs up there,” said Deacon. “And they went out to Idaho to study a very successful Auria-based, five-county-wide police, fire and ambulance P25 radio network that handles thousands of despatches every day.

“They obviously did their due diligence when looking for the right solution. And that obviously gave them enough comfort to try the Australian product.”

The ultimate test

© Advanstra/Wikimedia

might be very important: it might be turning on or off power lines via controlling recloser devices,” said Deacon.

“How do you prioritise regular voice and emergency voice, and also AVL data… which of them takes priority in a limited bandwidth that might exist a particular radio site?” The deployed system enables Ergon to set those priorities.

The RMU also supports DES and AES-256 encryption in order to protect industrial control data. Such security is becoming a very big issue, especially in North America, where NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) Critical Infrastructure Protection regulations show how serious authorities are about the importance of protecting industrial control data.

Australian innovation Auria and Etherstack, with their technology designed, developed and manufactured in Australia, have installed public 8 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

In early 2013, only months after the first stage of Ergon’s P25 network had been commissioned, Queensland was hit with huge floods - a challenging environment for public utilities companies. But whereas other radio and cellular networks in the same coverage area failed, Auria’s P25 network had no outages and continued to perform as promised. Every component in the network architecture has dual redundancy Auria's custom-designed RMU and there is no single point of failure.

Ergon Energy Group Manager (Telecommunications) Andrew Deme said that the radio network’s durability and resilience were crucial to the flood recovery effort.

“Ergon’s control centre is operated out of Rockhampton and when the commercial carsafety and public utility radio networks rier network failed, the only communicaon four continents. tion between the control centre and the One of those networks belongs to field staff was the P25 radio network,” ATCO Electric, a major electricity distribsaid Deme. “The network technology utor in the province of Alberta in Canada. enabled us to have electricity safely reATCO has around 72,000 km of transstored hours sooner for several thousand mission and distribution lines servicing customers as part of a coordinated rapid 216,000 customers in 245 communities. response effort.”

Another belongs to First Energy, one Similarly, the Australian-designed First of the USA’s largest electricity generatEnergy network in the USA got hit by ing and distribution companies with six Hurricane Sandy in January 2013 and also million customers and approximately performed admirably under assault.

310,000 km of distribution lines. First Deacon has recently returned from Energy produces around 100 million the Utilities Telecom Council (UTC) Expo megawatt-hours of electricity each held in Houston in May 2013, where year from nuclear, gas, coal and hydro Auria’s P25 technology garnered great plants. The P25 network is installed in interest. “We’ve captured customers the company’s districts in Pennsylvania already in North America with our earand Maryland through Raytheon, one of lier systems. Now we’re aiming to take Etherstack’s North American partners. the latest innovations we’ve done here When it was going through the for Ergon Energy and put them into the evaluation process for the Queensland market overseas,” he said. www.radiocomms.com.au

Emergency services

Putting emergency comms to the test

© CAB02/wikimedia

© NIST

Tests in New York City have suggested how to improve emergency radio communications inside large buildings and tunnels.

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adio communications can be unreliable in underground tunnels and other large, complicated structures, posing a safety hazard for emergency responders.

New tests of wireless emergency safety equipment by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have defined the challenges more precisely and suggest how emergency communications might be improved.

In a series of experiments conducted in New York City, an epicentre of underground tunnels and high-rise buildings, NIST researchers measured path loss, or reduced signal strength, which can occur when signals must travel through thick walls and dense material. NIST researchers also found that wireless emergency beacons could be unreliable beyond the street-level stairwell entrance to a four-level subway station, and that signal strength depended on the frequency used in the 100-storey Empire State Building. The findings are detailed in a new report.

“The systems we tested generally operated successfully as long as path loss did not exceed the threshold specified in standards just adopted in November,” said project leader Kate Remley. “But the path losses we measured throughout these structures were generally much higher than the threshold. This means 10 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

that repeaters or other technology to rebroadcast signals should be used in these and other similar environments, and standards must be extended to these higher-loss cases.”

Ongoing project The study is part of an ongoing NIST project, launched in 2008, supporting the development of performance metrics and laboratory tests for electronic safety equipment with two-way radio-frequency (RF) transmission capabilities. The New York tests focused on RF-based personal alert safety systems (RF-PASS), used by firefighters as distress beacons, but the test methods and path-loss results are applicable to other wireless devices such as handheld radios.

NIST tested four commercial RF-PASS systems operating in three frequency bands: 450 MHz, 902 to 928 MHz, and 2.4 GHz. Researchers measured whether a firefighter-down signal was received by a base station outside the subway or building, and whether a portable RF-PASS unit inside the structure received an evacuation signal from the base station, within 30 seconds, given a certain amount of path loss.

In the subway, communication was poor beyond the entrance unless a repeater was located underground on

the pay-station floor. In that case signals could be sent between the street level and the first passenger platform, but not to or from the second passenger level farther below, suggesting the need for a multihop repeater relay system.

In the Empire State Building, NIST researchers found that path losses increased with RF-PASS operating frequency and that only one of four systems tested communicated successfully without repeaters over most of the building test locations.

The US National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently incorporated NIST’s initial RF-PASS test methods into its first standards for RF-based electronic safety equipment. Until now, the NFPA could not certify RF-based PASS devices, which represent a significant advance in safety because of the addition of the RF transceiver. The NFPA adoption means these NIST methods will be implemented by testing laboratories as part of the NFPA certification process for RF-PASS devices.

The New York City tests support NIST’s next round of test methods, which will include tests for reliable voice radio and emergency beacon operations in higher path-loss environments.

The report is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1792. www.radiocomms.com.au

LMR/vehicle repeater distributorship for region

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FI Wireless has been appointed exclusive distributor of Pyramid/LMR Vehicle Repeater and associated products for the Australia/NZ/Pacific Islands region.

Pyramid Communications manufactures mission-critical communications products, mobile data terminals and mapping software for public safety agencies, utilities and private enterprise for the US domestic market, with international sales being offered through their LMR Systems division. Pyramid has been marketing and selling vehicular repeaters for almost 20 years. Its range of repeater products provides users with enhancement capabilities to supplement the coverage of their existing wireless networks.

Pyramid products’ customer base includes: police, fire and ambulance departments, utilities, security companies, transportation, forestry, border patrol, military and many other federal, state and local government departments. Pyramid in-vehicle repeaters are available to suit several wireless technologies including PMR, APCOP25 and DMR, for use in the VHF, UHF and 7/8/900 MHz frequency bands, and offer compatibility with hundreds of mobile radio brands and models.

Million-hour milestone

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etron has announced that implementations of its Advanced Communications (Acom) system - using technologies based on the TIA Project 25 (P25) Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI) - have now logged more than one million hours of successful operation at customer sites in North and South America.

The company claims this far exceeds the performance of any other CSSI-based dispatch console solution currently available.

Acom using CSSI-based technologies has been implemented for users as far afield as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ontario, Canada, and Ergon Energy in Queensland.

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GME moves and expands

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ME, a manufacturer of land-based and marine communications equipment, emergency signalling beacons and television signalling equipment, has invested in a new, purpose-built head office complex in northwestern Sydney. The company says its Winston Hills facility - which houses 10-head surface mount machines and a range of other machinery - will function as a local manufacturing plant for its range of products.

GME says that by keeping the bulk of

production in Australia, quality control will be preserved for products like EPIRB and PLB emergency beacons and radios.

The move from Gladesville to Winston Hills unites GME’s manufacturing, distribution, sales and marketing departments, including an expanded research and development department. The complex will be home to the company’s design engineers, factory assemblers and test technicians, in addition to the sales and customer service teams.

New website for public safety apps

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new website dedicated to public safety and emergency response apps for use by the general public, app developers and first responders has been launched by APCO International.

The not-for-profit Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, based in the USA, has produced the Applications Community or ‘AppComm’, where visitors can view, search, rate and comment on public safety apps.

Many apps related to public safety are already available and in use by the general public and public safety agencies. Recent initiatives aimed at advancing public safety communications technology are also driving new apps designed to serve a public safety or emergency response purpose.

“APCO members are especially qualified to evaluate existing apps and drive development of new apps that most effectively aid public safety and emergency response,” said APCO President Terry Hall. Hall continued, “APCO is determined to lead the way in fostering the development of appropriate standards and criteria for public safety apps.”

According to APCO Executive Director Derek Poarch, “AppComm was created to provide a single, trusted online forum where public safety professionals, the general public and app developers can rate and comment on apps, submit ideas for new apps to serve unmet public safety needs and suggest additional apps for inclusion on the site.” The site provides links to download the apps from external websites and app stores.

The global context of the AppComm initiative will be discussed by the APCO Global Alliance, which includes representatives from APCO International, APCO Australasia, British APCO and APCO Canada, in Manchester at the British APCO 2013 Conference next week.

“We strongly support the AppComm initiative and we are excited about what it will mean for the Australia and New Zealand community and public safety communications and information technology sector,” said Des Bahr, CEO of APCO Australasia. Bahr continued, “AppComm will assist in creating a new wave of app innovation for public safety and emergency response.”

Visit www.appcomm.org.

www.radiocomms.com.au

DMR Tier III IOP test success

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ytera has successfully completed another DMR Tier III Interoperability (IOP) test.

The new IOP Certificate includes IOP between Hytera PD78XG trunked terminal and the Harris Corporation’s HDT300 Momentum Trunking System, and IOP between Hytera system and Momentum terminal. This is the first successful certification of 800/900 MHz Tier III equipment.

The DMR Association developed the DMR IOP Process in order to ensure users would benefit from a truly open multivendor market for DMR equipment. It enables customers to have the ability to select the most appropriate products for their needs and to be confident that these products are compatible with each other. Users can be sure that products awarded a DMR IOP Certificate have been rigorously

tested and the functions listed in the certificate are interoperable.

As a Category 1 member of DMR Association, Hytera has been actively involved in the DMR technology development. In March 2011, Hytera unveiled its DMR trunked (Tier III) infrastructure at the 2011 International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE). Later in September 2012, Hytera was awarded the first DMR Tier III Interoperability (IOP) certificates with IOP between Hytera trunked terminals (Tier III) and third-party trunked infrastructure, and IOP between Hytera trunked infrastructure (Tier III) and third-party trunked terminals.

Hytera is also the first company to have an IOPcompliant DMR solution with Tier II and Tier III in a single radio.

ACMA single compliance mark scheme begins

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he Australian Communications and Media Authority has introduced a single regulatory compliance mark (RCM) to illustrate a device’s compliance with all applicable ACMA standards telecommunications, radiocommunications, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electromagnetic energy (EME).

The single compliance mark is part of the ACMA’s broader strategic program to ensure that regulation evolves with the changing ICT environment. Because devices are increasingly subject to multiple technical regulatory requirements, the historical sector-based (A-tick and C-tick) labelling requirements are not sustainable.

The new arrangements will lessen the administrative burden on suppliers of products by reducing the complexity of the compliance marking arrangements, while simpler marking arrangements should increase compliance and improve regulatory outcomes.

© iStockphoto.com/Mauro Saivezzo

Telstra gets $1.1bn Defence telecoms contract

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he Australia Department of Defence has signed a $1.1 billion contract with Telstra for the provision of telecommunications services.

The six-and-a-half year contract will enable Defence to transform its communications technology including better integrating fixed telecommunications with satellite and tactical networks.

Defence Chief Information Officer Dr Peter Lawrence said the transformation of its network was central to wider strategic reforms throughout the department.

According to Telstra, the agreement represents the largest customer undertaking in the company’s history and will support military operations at home and abroad. The contract will see 350 new positions filled to serve the contract.

www.radiocomms.com.au

The use of technology such as unified communications, videoconferencing as well as tablet and smartphone usage will provide a link connecting troops, commanders, bases and allies around the world.

Defence will partner with Telstra to implement the transformed network solution, which has a targeted completion date of mid2016.

The Defence telecommunications network includes networks at 430 sites in Australia, supporting some 100,000 users in Australia and overseas. Defence say the project will significantly improve network performance and meet capability requirements out to 2023.

The transition to the single mark follows two rounds of public consultation and extensive industry dialogue. The ACMA has also worked closely with state and territory electrical safety regulators to align the arrangements with the Electrical Equipment Safety System being introduced in most state and territory jurisdictions.

Under the arrangements, all suppliers using the RCM will be required to register on a new online database by 1 March 2016.

Members of the public, retailers and other suppliers will be able to search the database.

The new arrangements include a threeyear transition period for current suppliers.

Devices that have been labelled before the end of the transition period do not need to be re-labelled.

Further information on the requirements that must be met by a supplier using the RCM is available on the ACMA website.

May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

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Public safety LTE market to increase by 43%

CFA brigades to go digital

© stock.xchng/svilen001

he global public safety LTE market has been forecast to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43% over the next five years, increasing from a value of $1.8 billion in 2013, to account for over $10 billion in revenue by 2018, according to Companiesandmarkets. com.

Considered as the de facto standard for public safety broadband communications, LTE is rapidly gaining momentum within the public safety industry. As a result, public safety agencies, vendors and service providers are heavily investing in public safety LTE, with commercial deployments in both the North America and the Middle East regions.

While initial investments appear promising, there still remain a number of key issues that need to be addressed such as frequency spectrum allocation, funding for private LTE network deployments, QoS prioritisation of users in commercial networks and interoperability with legacy land mobile radio (LMR) systems such as APCO 25 and TETRA. Operator service revenues will constitute a vast majority of the revenue, followed by managed services and integration, representing a lucrative opportunity for vendors and system integrators to build, own and operate public safety LTE networks.

Europe will lag behind the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Latin America in the early adoption of public safety LTE technology due to stringent spectrum regulation policies. The Middle East has already witnessed commercialisation of the technology with an early deployment by the Qatar MOI.

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© stock.xchng/cooperm

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lmost 500 Country Fire Authority (CFA) brigades across Victoria will be able to communicate directly with those who dispatch them to emergencies, saving valuable time, when a state-of-the-art digital communications network is rolled out over the next 18 months.

As part of the $42.9 million Regional Radio Dispatch Service (RRDS) project, Telstra, supported by Motorola Solutions, has been chosen to build and maintain the new infrastructure for CFA, and the state’s emergency services digital radio service in regional Victoria.

The announcement was made today by the Victorian Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Kim Wells.

CFA Chief Officer Euan Ferguson said the network will provide regional brigades with direct radio communications to the dispatch operators and a new generation of high-quality digital dispatch capability across the state.

“Members will also benefit from clearer radio dispatch coverage, which is currently available to Victoria Police, MFB, Ambulance Victoria and our brigades in metropolitan Melbourne,” he said.

“It will also reduce the need for group communications officers to support day-to-day dispatch communications activities. This role, however, will remain essential for incident management communications and these members will continue to maintain their skills through regular training and exercises.

Currently, CFA crews in rural areas must relay communications via a local group communications officer to give important information about the status of an incident and location of crews.

The rollout will begin in November this year and will be available to all regional brigades by mid next year.

“This will be followed by the training and eventual operational transition for all brigades involved which will be undertaken at a regional level,” Ferguson said.

“The rollout is part of our switchover to digitally enabled Tait radios which are currently operating on an analog network, awaiting the introduction of this Regional Radio Dispatch Service (RRDS).

“The new digital network will initially be dedicated to dispatching regional CFA brigades and will use newly assigned channels. Fireground and command and control channels are not changing as an outcome of this project.

Telstra Executive Director of Government and Not for Profit Chris Pearce said the RRDS will be delivered by Telstra and supported by Motorola Solutions, combining the strengths and expertise of both companies in delivering public safety solutions.

“This project is intended to extend the CFA’s dispatch radio footprint from outer metropolitan Melbourne through to rural and regional Victoria. It demonstrates our commitment to providing Australia’s emergency services with the latest public safety technology,” Pearce said.

Name change for global two-way radio supplier

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imoco, a global supplier of two-way radio systems and solutions, has announced that, as at 1 May 2013, its four regional businesses, Simoco EMEA (formerly Team Simoco), Simoco Americas, Simoco Australasia (formerly ComGroup) and Simoco Asia Pacific, will be united under the Simoco brand creating a single corporate identity.

Simoco says that this means “business as usual” for their existing customers as it continues to build on its expertise in development and distribution of PMR products across the world.

This year, Simoco launched its Xd Tier II DMR product line, a new partner portal and its global Simoco website.

www.radiocomms.com.au

newproducts

Combined multimeter/oscilloscope The UNI-T model UTD1025CL digital, handheld oscilloscope is a battery-operated oscilloscope with a 64k colour, 9 cm TFT display.

The instrument has a 25 MHz bandwidth and a 200 MS/s sampling rate, capable of accurately measuring signals with rise times down to 14 ns. Trigger modes include edge, pulse, video and slope.

Handheld direction-finding system

The single-channel UTD1025CL multimeter portion can measure signal to 400 VAC and DC, current from 400 µA to 10 A AC and DC, resistance from 400 Ω to 40 MΩ and capacitance from 50, 12 nF to 100 microfarad. The instrument is supplied with DC adapter, test leads, x10 and x1 oscilloscope probes, 10 A current divider, USB cable and software on CD.

Anritsu has introduced the MA2700A InterferenceHunter handheld direction-finding system, which enhances interference mapping and simplifies locating interference sources in wireless networks.

Designed for use with Anritsu’s Spectrum Master, Cell Master and BTS Master handheld analysers, the MA2700A can be used by field technicians during the deployment, installation and maintenance of wireless networks. It is suited for use in spectrum clearing and interference mitigation.

The MA2700A incorporates a GPS receiver and antenna, electronic compass and user-selectable preamplifier. No additional power source is necessary, as the MS2700A is powered through its USB connector.

An effective tool that is compatible with the company’s easyMap Tools, the MA2700A allows users to draw a vector line to an interfering signal on a map stored in the handheld analyser with one click. Users can pan and zoom on maps created using easyMap for more detailed analysis.

To utilise the system, the Master analyser needs to be equipped with the interference analysis option.

Power Parameters Pty Ltd

Anritsu Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T090

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T809

16 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

www.radiocomms.com.au

newproducts Serial GPS mouse with GLONASS The latest release GPS mouse from Glyn, based on the latest Telit SL869 module, is a receiver that can simultaneously search and track signals from multiple satellite constellations.

The multiGNSS receiver uses the entire spectrum of systems: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS. The GPS-MOUSE-SL869 with built-in active dielectric antenna has high sensitivity, low power consumption and fast time to first fix. It also offers an accurate timing pulse and jamming immunity.

By incorporating three-stage rejection architecture, the GPS mouse is able to remove interfering signals pre- and post-correlation. Three-stage jamming rejection approaches actively identify and remove jammers preand post-correlation, which maximises GPS performance.

Glyn Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T116

Industrial Bluetooth transmitter Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies (ITAMCO) has released the iBlue - a handheld bluetooth transmitter that gathers crucial production data and sends it to bluetooth-enabled smartphones, tablets and computers.

The iBlue replaces several tools including hardness testers, micrometers and temperature readers. When it is paired with a bluetooth-enabled device, it gathers, records and sends data through its three ports: a K-type thermocouple port (comes with a K-type thermocouple probe), a 3-pin metal hardness probe port and a USB human interface device (HID) enabled port that connects with a wide range of non-proprietary tools including keyboards, micrometers, calipers and barcode scanners.

No special software is required and data from the transmitter can be sent as a text email or placed into Microsoft Excel and Notepad. The device is compatible with the most common operating systems including iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows and Linux.

The transmitter comes with a USB charger cable, OtterBox belt clip and a K-type thermocouple probe.

ITAMCO www.itamco.com

www.radiocomms.com.au

May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

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newproducts

Handheld marine VHF radio

Dispatch software for tablets

The IC-M73EURO handheld marine VHF radio, which supersedes the IC-M72, offers rugged construction and performance and features designed to enhance communications.

The IC-M73EURO has been built to military specifications and features advanced waterproofing (IPX8).

Should the IC-M73EURO be submerged in water, it also features Icom’s AquaQuake water draining function, which emits a low frequency tone to remove water from the speaker grille.

Zetron’s Advanced Communications (Acom EVO) digital dispatch solution running on a tablet PC can now operate over a 4G long term evolution (LTE) network. This enables Acom EVO to be deployed quickly, providing command and control wherever and whenever remote or mobile dispatch operations are needed.

Acom EVO is compatible with any Windows 7/8 tablet with a 32-bit or greater operating system, and can be used with a Bluetooth-connected headset or the tablet’s built-in speaker and microphone.

Connection to an LTE network allows for full dispatching capability at remote or on-scene locations. Whether the need is to set up a temporary dispatch location or provide dispatchers capabilities during transition to a disaster recovery centre, users will be able to simultaneously connect to multiple radio channels, make telephone calls and patch calls to radio users all from the palm of their hand.

Zetron Australasia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T410

DMR Tier II trunking system The Hytera DS-6211 DMR Trunking Lite system is a digital trunking system for industry users.

The system is based on RD98XS transceivers, realising system upgrade from analog conventional to digital conventional, and to digital trunking.

The radio features loud 700 mW audio output and active noise-cancelling technology, which reduces background noise by up to 90% on both transmitted voice and incoming transmissions. The active noise-cancelling technology can differentiate voice from background noise in both transmitted and received signals through a digital signal processor (DSP).

In addition, the IC-M73EURO also has a voice recorder function, which automatically saves the last incoming call for one minute, or can be started manually, meaning an important call will not be missed. Internal VOX circuitry is included, enabling a range of hands-free headset/microphone options.

The IC-M73EURO features full 5 W output power and a high-capacity (2000 mAh) lithium-ion battery, which provides around 16 h of typical use (TX:RX:Standby = 5:5:90) per charge. The included rapid charger will fully charge the battery in approximately 2.5 h.

Other features include dual- and tri-watch, which continually monitor channel 16 and/or call channel for activity and multiple scanning options, which can be set up to the user’s preference. The unit is also compatible with an optional waterproof speaker/microphone, which keeps the radio’s waterproof integrity intact by making a water-tight connection.

With a flexible network structure, powerful functions and various applications, the system delivers optimised system performance and operation efficiency with lower infrastructure costs.

Icom Australia Pty Ltd

Hytera Communications Co. Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T898

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T585

18 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

www.radiocomms.com.au

newproducts

MiMOMax PMR/ LMR linking A common misconception among radio professionals is that when linking analog and digital PMR base station sites, generally a large bandwidth is needed. However this is not always the case.

The fact is that ‘megahertz bandwidths’ are not always needed to provide a reliable low-latency PMR network linking solution capable of supporting a large number of PMR radio channels. Instead, there is a growing recognition that ultra-spectrally efficient narrowband systems that have been cleverly designed to efficiently manage voice traffic are a good fit for linking PMR sites. Systems selected on the basis of ‘megahertz bandwidths’ alone may still lead to excess voice delays and packet loss.

The MiMOMax highly intelligent radio uses multiple input, multiple output, space-time diversity, in combination with high orders of modulation and M-DAP (data acceleration protocol) with radio-optimised compression algorithms and robust traffic management to provide very high capacity in narrow bandwidths. With this technology it is possible to support a large number of PMR channels in narrow bandwidth with minimal packet loss and late packet arrival, while maintaining very low latency and jitter across challenging terrains.

Forward error correction and fast training algorithms are used to enhance reliability and ensure high availability even in fading conditions.

Digital radio test set for P25 portable radios Aeroflex has announced the addition of support for Harris P25 P7300, P5500 and XG-75 Series portable radios to the Aeroflex 3920 Auto-Test II system. The application provides automated testing and alignment to provide a new level of consistent repeatable results.

The 3920 provides an advanced method for repeatable and highly accurate test and alignment for Harris radios that require minimal technical interface, reducing the amount of time spent on testing or aligning radios. Alignments can be performed in less than 10 min and testing of primary functions can be even quicker.

The application uses precision instrumentation within the 3920 to quickly perform test and alignments to manufacturer specifications.

Aeroflex Asia Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T394

MiMOMax Wireless Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T754

www.radiocomms.com.au

May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

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© stock.xchng/pablo_uy

Antennas

Antenna system monitoring The measurement, monitoring and reporting of the performance of wireless network infrastructure has come a long way over past years. Many modern base station repeaters provide integrated measurement capabilities, but the use of combining and/or isolators in the RF path from the base station transmitter output to the antenna isolates the repeaters from most problems that may occur within the combiner and antenna subsystems.

T

he inherent inaccuracies of using inline wattmeters (or sampler detectors) to measure forward and reverse power on multicarrier systems, due to the carriers’ ever-changing random phase relationships, results in random and inaccurate measurement values.

Connecting such devices into multicarrier locations within the system often introduces intermodulation into the system, risking optimum network performance.

The use of an antenna system monitor (ASM) facilitates the per-channel measurement of each transmitter’s forward and reverse power, the system’s transmit-to-receive isolation, receive signal levels and more.

The ASM can be used to measure and monitor the following network performance parameters for up to 80 channels that may be distributed across up to four (or more) separate combiner systems; transmitters’ forward and reverse power; receive (RSSI) signal levels; and system transmit-to-receive isolation.

These measurements are logged and stored in non-volatile memory, with historical performance data available for 20 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

review or downloading. The data available from logging includes: a graphical and text file of each channel’s Tx Power and antenna VSWR; a graphical and text file of each channel’s use; and a text file log of alarm events.

An integral webserver in the ASM provides a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) that allows the programming of channel information and alarm thresholds on a per-channel basis, site and customer details, and other ASM operating parameters. Current measurement values and alarm statuses can also be viewed locally or remotely.

RF alarm events are captured and recorded, and can be reported via several methods: dry-relay summary alarm contacts; SNMP alarm traps; email (SMTP) notifications; network manager messages; and/or channel alarm module.

The channel bandwidth and modulation type of each channel is also configurable via the GUI. This allows combinations of FDMA and TDMA modulations and protocols (ie, analog, P25P1, P25P2, TETRA, DMR, etc) to be measured and monitored using different algorithms within the ASM.

An optional channel alarm module (CAM) unit is available that allows 10 channels’ alarms to be mapped to individual relay outputs on the CAM. Individual base station PTT lines can also be monitored by the CAM, ensuring an RF output total failure in a base station can also be discerned from the ASM measurements. Four independent alarm inputs are also provided on a CAM, allowing the monitoring of site alarms (door open, battery low, generator fuel low etc).

Up to 10 CAM units may be connected to an ASM using supplied interconnect cables. The ASM recognises CAMs automatically when they are connected and they then appear in the ASM GUI for configuration, status monitoring and reporting.

The ASM is suitable for a wide range of applications supporting wireless networks. Its capabilities cater for analog, digital, FDMA and TDMA modulations.

The relay, SNMP, email, manager messages and CAM alarm interfaces can be implemented to provide various alarming methods, and the user-friendly GUI provides configuration programming and status monitoring compatibility for computer, tablet, mobile phone and mainframe users. www.radiocomms.com.au

Antennas

Network site monitoring If an ASM is installed at a network site, it can monitor transmitter output powers, antenna VSWR and receive RSSI levels from network terminals - all on a per-channel basis. In addition, the site’s transmit-to-receive system isolation can be benchmarked.

The programming of alarm thresholds values can be planned based on network users’ coverage requirements, coverage overlap from adjoining sites and maintenance obligations.

Alarm events can notify maintenance personnel of a developing fault. Subject to the severity of the fault’s impact on a user, an appropriate response can be actioned.

For example, if an antenna VSWR alarm is configured to trigger when it reaches 1.8:1, a decision can be made on the priority of response required. If the event occurred at 2 am on Saturday morning and the site benefited from coverage overlap from surrounding sites, a response decision might be to schedule the maintenance activity for 9 am Monday morning as the level of impact may be determined as ‘minor’. This may save an after-hours callout for a rigger and after-hours duty technician. However, the VSWR could then be monitored and any further degradation could still result in an escalation in response if required.

Alternatively, if a fault showed a low base station Tx output level, but a good antenna VSWR, then the response might be to send the duty technician with base station spares - rather than taking a rigger and a crew with a spare antenna.

More importantly, if an outage was required to exchange a faulty antenna but the level of impact was ‘minor’, then

Figure 1: Application diagram. a routine outage could be planned for a future date - rather than an ‘urgent’ outage on short notice - while still monitoring the fault in case it degraded further.

In addition to the cost saving in delaying an urgent response, the network users are not inconvenienced by an unplanned outage on short notice, a significant issue in operations-critical networks.

Measurements from multiple sites can be collected, collated and presented in

Figure 2: An 'Act' indicator next to the reading for each channel indicates if the value displayed was active during the last measurement cycle or whether it is an old reading from past traffic on the channel.

www.radiocomms.com.au

reports showing overall network performance.

OMCS & PMCS software integration - manager messages The ASM also offers manager messages that are UDP IP message packets that contain traffic and status data created by the ASM measurement cycles. These ASM messages can be sent to nominated

Figure 3: If intermittent or sagging RF output power is suspected, the Tx Power History Chart can show the performance of the channels over a selected period of time. The time-and-date-stamped history log can be viewed to identify or analyse specific event times. The log can also be downloaded as a CSV text file and used to create customised reports.

May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

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Antennas

Figure 4: Trunking network.

"The use of an antenna system monitor (ASM) facilitates the perchannel measurement of each transmitter's forward and reverse power, the system's transmit-to-receive isolation, receive signal levels and more."

Figure 5: Trunking base station failure.

IP addresses where they can be processed and the data used in higher-level application software.

alarm threshold value set to detect any ‘coverage-impacting’ drop in signal levels within the system.

Adjacent sites-monitoring

Trunking base station failure

If an ASM is installed at a dominant network site, it can also be configured to ‘off-air’ monitor channels from surrounding network sites. In trunking networks, this is particularly useful for monitoring a trunking network control channel from adjacent sites.

Until funds are available to fit an ASM to every network site, this interim approach provides a level of basic monitoring to confirm the continued operation of sites within the network.

Adding more ASMs to other sites adds more data, providing more than one signal level reading from each site better confirming network and coverage performance.

Multiple sites’ data can also be collected, collated and presented to represent network coverage performance.

When fitted with a channel alarm module (CAM), the ASM can provide base station monitoring in DMR (and other) trunked radio systems. The alarm status from each monitored channel can be assigned to a CAM relay output, and a failure on a base station channel can create a logic output that is connected back to the trunking controller to de-allocate the failed channel.

Using the ‘PTT monitoring input’ on each CAM relay output ensures that the trunking base station’s activation is monitored and a total RF output failure is recognised - rather than interpreted as valid ‘no channel activity’. CAM outputs can also be manually activated and de-activated via the GUI if the manual changeover of the antennas is desired.

Distributed antenna systems A distributed antenna system (DAS) can also be monitored using an antenna system monitor. Like any antenna, the DAS can have the forward power and its VSWR performance measured.

An ‘off-air’ antenna can also be fitted to monitor the radiated signal level from the DAS - with this level having an 22 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

Antenna changeover Another application for the CAM is as an automatic antenna changeover unit (ACO). Antenna performance can be monitored by the Tx forward power and VSWR measurement cycle of the ASM. Receive system performance can also be tested using the antenna isolation test - supplemented by off-air RSSI measurements from known transmitters.

If an alarm is detected on one (or more) transmitter antennas or receive tests, the output of the CAM can be used to activate a coaxial relay to switch in a standby antenna/s. CAM outputs can also be manually activated and de-activated via the GUI if the manual changeover or testing of antennas is desired.

This capability is beneficial on remote sites where access to the site could be restricted for prolonged periods due to seasonal weather.

Remote base station control The relay outputs of the CAM can be controlled via the ASM GUI. These outputs can be used to control external equipment items - including base stations.

Coverage drive testing can be assisted by activating test transmitters remotely via the ASM GUI. The ease of access of the GUI, and the CAMs presented in it, provides flexible control functionality that can be used to facilitate remote control capabilities at a communications site.

Non-intrusive periodic maintenance inspections (PMIs) The ASM is non-intrusive to a network once its sampling coupler is installed.

The ASM measures and reports on the monitored RF performance parameters on a continuous 24/7 basis, allowing the measured values to be logged during normal network operation and without www.radiocomms.com.au

Antennas

Figure 6: Antenna changeover.

Figure 7: Remote base station control. impacting its users. In addition, alarm events (when the programmable alarm thresholds are exceeded) can be reported back to a network operations control centre (NOCC) or maintenance personnel via the alarm relays, CAMs, SNMP, emails or manager messages interfaces.

Using the ASM’s collected history and alarm event data, in conjunction with accessing the unit and its current performance measurements ‘real-time’ via its friendly GUI when required, provides the ability to measure and confirm most network RF performance parameters without a planned or unplanned network outage. In many circumstances, this capability can remove (or greatly reduce) the need for regular PMIs - and their associated network outages and the impact these have on operations-critical network users.

The benefits in network maintenance cost reductions in minimising the number of visits to sites, particularly ones that are remote or that have otherwise limited access, can be significant. The availability of downloadable data that can be formatted and presented in regular reports further improves network availability, fault and mean time to repair (MTTR) monitoring and KPI measurement.

Coupled with the capability to more intuitively assess network RF performance problems and the ‘networkavailability’ effects of alarm events as they unfold, the ASM provides a returnwww.radiocomms.com.au

on-investment (ROI) proposition for its inclusion in every network or site build.

Features and benefits • Allows most PMIs to be performed non-intrusively, without a site outage impacting network users (ie, no more scheduled network outages).

• Measure and monitor the output of high-power multicarrier transmit combiners on a per-channel basis - without the limitations of inline wattmeters and RF ‘samplers’.

• Measure and monitor other network RF parameters (receive levels, system isolation, etc).

• Store historical data for later display or download.

• 24/7 non-intrusive monitoring and the setting of minimum and/or maximum alarm thresholds allows the speedy detection and notification of performance-impacting changes in the network’s performance.

• Configuration data (frequencies, etc) is easily entered via an integral webserver GUI. • Allows intuitive assessment of site faults prior to despatching personnel to site.

• Assists in determining the need for specialised personnel (ie, riggers) and likely required spares (such as antennas) to be determined prior to travelling to site in response to a reported fault, minimising unnecessary maintenance costs.

• Reduces maintenance effort by enabling better analysis of the likely fault cause prior to deploying resources to site, and allows appropriate spares to be taken to site.

• Allows earlier planning of network outages if required for fault rectification. Reduces ‘unplanned’ outages on short notice.

• Detects the onset of fault conditions ‘as they occur’ and often before network users notice the impact of the fault - allowing a faster response to be initiated and resulting in better MTTR performance.

• Facilitates a more detailed assessment of the impact of the fault on network performance. Is it a minor reduction of coverage, is it on just one channel or is it a more extensive impact on the network’s grade of service?

• Provides detailed data of ongoing network performance, faults and restorations - within the RF environment. Downloadable log files allow the importation and processing of data into spreadsheets, producing network performance, maintenance and other KPI reports.

There is an active product development plan for the antenna system monitor.

Firmware updates can be uploaded (locally or remotely) to an ASM. RF Industries Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/ U019

May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

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newproducts

EMC diagnostic system The EMSCAN EMxpert EMC and EMI diagnostic tool enables product development engineers and designers to rapidly identify and solve EMC/EMI problems in a single design cycle in their own laboratory environment. With EMxpert, unexpected compliance test results can also be avoided altogether.

For PCB engineers, finding, characterising and effectively addressing unintended emissions (EMI/ EMC) or RF leakage continues to be a persistent design challenge. This is especially true for groups doing high-speed or high-power PCB designs as well as complex high-density designs where there is a premium on real estate.

EMxpert is a real-time solution for this challenge. A lab bench magnetic near-field scanning system, EMxpert liberates PCB engineers by rapidly diagnosing problems early in the development cycle, providing real-time and highly repeatable identification of problem frequencies, sources and their physical location. It also serves to track hard-todiagnose intermittent events thanks to its continuous scanning and peak hold capability.

EMC and RF Solutions Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T831

Office headsets

Interoperable communications with Etherstack LTE technology

The Sennheiser SC30 USB CTRL (single-sided) and SC60 USB CTRL (dual-sided) headsets are compatible with global providers of unified communications solutions such as Avaya, IBM and Cisco.

With integrated call control unit and USB connector, the SC30 and SC60 USB CTRL offer functionality and convenience when connected to a UC solution.

Features include noise-cancelling microphone, large comfortable ear pad/s, bendable boom arm for microphone positioning and ActiveGard technology for protection from acoustic shock and sudden sound surges.

The SC 30 USB CTRL and SC60 USB CTRL are designed for the unified communications market and are also available in Microsoft Lync Certified Models (SC30 USB ML and SC60 USB ML).

Cisco has announced a range of interoperable communications capabilities for their public safety, enterprise, utilities and transportation offerings that incorporate Etherstack's LTE25 smartphone technology.

The solution enables secure push-to-talk-style operation between 3G and 4G handset devices and government radio systems such as those used by police, fire, ambulance and other government agencies. The range also provides a similar capability to the utility, transportation and mining sectors.

Cisco and Etherstack have been collaborating on standards-based interoperability solutions since 2008, which has recently seen the initial deployments of Cisco's IPICS (IP Interoperability and Collaboration System) product incorporating Etherstack's wireless interfacing technology to various government agencies in the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Both the US and Australian governments have standardised on a digital wireless communications standard known as APCO P25 for emergency services communications and new digital radio networks for public safety and other industries are currently being built out based on this technology.

Etherstack says its LTE25 technology provides secure end-to-end encrypted calls between commercial 3G and 4G handsets to private digital radio networks operated by government agencies and industry. The company also says its solutions solve key migration issues from legacy analog networks to digital radio networks and broadband wireless networks such LTE networks.

Syntec International Pty Ltd

Cisco

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T676

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T763

24 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

www.radiocomms.com.au

newproducts Full-duplex mobile radio

High-amperage DC power plug and jack

The Hytera MD78XG trunking duplex mobile radio features an ergonomic design, all-round digital functions and the ability to increase management efficiency and enable users to be responsive to emerging situations.

Benefiting from the TDMA technology, the trunking duplex mobile radio allows twice the channels based on the same spectrum resource, of benefit with the increasing shortage in spectrum resource.

With the combined application of narrowband codec and digital error/correction technologies, the trunking duplex mobile radio is capable of ensuring quality voice under noisy environments or at the edge of the coverage area. In addition, the adoption of the AGC technology also optimises voice. With a built-in 4 W speaker, the trunking duplex mobile radio ensures clear and crisp voice communication.

Switchcraft has introduced the high-amperage power plug and jack to its extensive range of DC power plugs and jacks.

Sealed and non-sealed versions are available and are rated up to 11 A current (carry) up to 24 VDC at 55°C with an operating temperature of -40 to 105°C. Automatic switchover from AC to DC is permitted by sleeve shunt switch.

The power plug and jacks are available in locking and non-locking versions, and the sealed versions are sealed to IP68, NEMA 250 (6P), when mated.

The high-amperage power plug and jack has applications in any sealed data transmission, military or industrial GPS location devices, instrumentation, medical equipment, marine, transportation and power supplies, as well as general industrial electronic applications.

Hytera Communications Co. Ltd

Clarke & Severn Electronics

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T659

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T438

HESITANT TO COMMIT TO DIGITAL RADIO? With the advent of digital radio, many organisations are excited by the range of additional features but are daunted by the number of choices. P25, Tetra, dPMR, DMR, NXDN, MotoTRBO, the list goes on.

- What if the chosen protocol doesn’t meet future demands?

- What if some legislation comes in demanding a change for my industry?

- What if other organisations I work with choose something different?

- What if I want to phase the upgrade process?

Omnitronics’ DX-Altus Radio Management System has been designed to meet these concerns.

Using the DX-Altus, you can connect multiple protocols together onto the one network, enabling them to be grouped or patched together.

Creating ultimate interoperability.

Contact us today to learn more about the flexibility and peace of mind this solution can provide.

www.radiocomms.com.au

Challenging Communications Boundaries

East Coast Sales: +61 7 3369 5733 West Coast Sales: +61 8 9445 2633 sales@omnitronics.com.au www.omnitronicsworld.com

May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

Omn_15906

Have the Confidence to Implement a Radio Management System that won’t lock you into any one Vendor or Protocol

25

Remote radio

© stock.xchng/oskar73

Radio’s polar pioneer

Mike Smyth, specialist technical writer

In the early days of Antarctic exploration, establishing reliable communications with the outside world could mean the difference between life and death. Australian Walter Hannam was one of those who led the way.

I

t’s perhaps not a name that immediately springs to mind when thinking about the history of radio, but Walter Henry Hannam was an Australian pioneer of Antarctic radio communications during the Mawson years.

Hannam, known as ‘Blubbery’ because of his 101 kg weight, was the first person to establish radio communications from Macquarie Island to ships in waters around Australia and New Zealand, and to Melbourne, Sydney and Wellington.

Having gained a science diploma in Sydney, the young Hannam joined his father’s gas and hydraulic engineering company. Over the next 11 years or so he acquired a lot of knowledge that would become useful to him in Antarctica.

From 1911 to 1912 Hannam served as the wireless engineer on Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition and during this time set up and maintained the wireless telegraph system on Macquarie Island and at Mawson’s base camp.

26 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

Barrels were used to unload the equipment from the research vessel Aurora onto Macquarie Island. Sealers provided much help and their flying fox was modified to help move the equipment. Four radio masts were floated ashore and Hannam chose the site for their erection.

For two summers and a winter Hannam was the wireless operator and mechanic at Main Base in Antarctica, where he used a Telefunken 1.5 W transmitter to send Morse code signals, but reception was only intermittent. On 25 September 1912, the first successful message was sent from Macquarie Island to the Queen’s Domain station in Hobart.

A month or so later, a crew of three re-erected a mast that had been laid waste by 32 km/h winds. The following year, Sidney Jeffryes, who succeeded Hannam, modified the radio link into a two-way system, which became reliable enough to report the deaths of Belgrave Ninnis and Xavier Mertz, along with

Mawson’s survival. In fact, it was Ninnis and Mertz who always came to the aid of Hannam when he wanted a radio mast guy rope replaced or some other task requiring many hands.

But Hannam was more than just a radio man. In 1929, he developed a rapid electric water heater that became widely adopted. One story says that this innovation came as a result of Walter being dirty and unable to wash for four days; he disliked the feeling so much that he vowed to develop a means of quick hot water and his heater was the result.

Hannam was a strong believer in radio communications, particularly for Australia’s security following World War I. He was a founder member of the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) and for a time was its secretary. He was awarded the Polar Medal in 1914 for his services in Antarctica and three small islets in Commonwealth Bay are named after him. He died in 1965 at the age of 80. www.radiocomms.com.au

newproducts

Spectrum analyser with tracking generator Available to rent, the Rohde & Schwarz FSH3-TG Spectrum Analyser with Tracking Generator is suitable for RF surveying applications allowing rapid signal investigation with high precision. The tracking generator can be used for distance-tofault measurement, scalar and vector network analysis, and one-port cable loss measurement.

The add-on FSH-K2 vector measurement model, supplied with this unit, can significantly increase the measurement accuracy as the receive signal is analysed for magnitude and phase. A Smith chart displays the magnitude and phase to allow detailed analysis.

Features include: easy data transfer to PC; storage of up to 100 traces and set-ups; printout of all relevant data via Windows.

TechRentals Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T437

Software upgrade for POCSAG testing Aeroflex has announced the POCSAG testing option for the 3920 Series Digital Radio Test Set. With this option, the 3920 Series can now be used to verify the operation of POCSAG pagers and paging systems.

This option adds the capability of both sending and decoding POCSAG encoded messages to the 3920 Series.

With a full set of POCSAG receiver testing tools, the operation includes user control of the modulation deviation, bit rate and the message format. The user can select from a list of predefined messages or they can create their own.

The POCSAG option is a software upgrade that can be performed in the field.

Aeroflex Asia Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T532

TX4800 • 25 watt VHF/UHF commercial radio • Ingress protected to IP67 • 500 channel / 50 zones • MDC1200 compatible signaling

www.radiocomms.com.au

May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

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newproducts

Handheld spectrum analysers Rohde & Schwarz has added two models to its R&S FSH range of handheld spectrum analysers: the R&S FSH13 covering the range from 9 kHz to 13.6 GHz and the R& S FSH20 covering the range to 20 GHz. For maximum sensitivity, both models are equipped with an amplifier that can be activated, and users can apply the analysers’ wide range of measurement features up into the microwave range.

The portable spectrum analysers can be used for performing measurements on base stations, for maintaining and installing transmitter systems, and for analysing signal quality. The compact units integrate numerous measurement functions that can be used to analyse transmit signals and interference, measure performance and more.

The spectrum analysers support all common wireless communications standards. With their higher frequency range, the R&S FSH13 and R&S FSH20 can also be used for microwave applications up to 13.6 and 20 GHz, respectively. In addition, the analysers are now able to measure disturbance signals in wireless communications networks, such as UMTS up to the fifth harmonic. The analysers are also suitable for measurements performed during the installation and maintenance of satellite communications and radar systems.

The devices have a sweep speed roughly four times faster than comparable instruments - a complete sweep up to 13.6 GHz takes just 800 ms. Performance data for digitally modulated signals such as GSM, WCDMA and LTE is available with just a few button presses. They offer sensitivity of (typically) -162 dBm between 8 and 13.6 GHz, and an accuracy of (typically) 1 dB >8 GHz. The dynamic range, which is normalised to 1 Hz, delivers 145 dB at 1 GHz. These handheld instruments are optimised for applications in the field. They feature a display that is easy to read even in bright daylight, weigh less than 3 kg and run for up to 4.5 h on a replaceable battery. They come with a wizard for configuring automatic test sequences and the ability to assign functions to buttons.

Rohde & Schwarz (Australia) Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T737

XDL MICRO compact UHF data link

The XDL Micro from Pacific Crest is a 0.5 W UHF transceiver designed for integration into products that need either a one- or two-way radio communication link covering 403-473 MHz in a single band.

This unit uses Pacific Crest’s next-generation, backwardscompatible XDL modem technology, which gives access to the world’s largest installed base of GNSS precise positioning systems.

The compact XDL Micro is easy to integrate and suits rugged outdoor solutions in mining, construction, surveying and environmental monitoring.

Features include: compact size - 69.8 L x 46.6 W x 11.2mm H; 70 MHz coverage single 403-473 MHz band; advanced data link design for high performance over entire band; high over-the-air link rate - 19,200 bps (both GMSK and 4FSK); supports 1 Hz RTK corrections for multi-GNSS receivers; software-derived channel bandwidth; compatible with both 12.5 and 25 kHz radios; high environmental capabilities - high vibration tolerance and wide temperature specifications.

Step Global Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T728

Power meter The Agilent E4418B E series is a high-performance programmable power meter, measuring from 100 µW to 25 W (-70 to +44 dBm) at frequencies from 9 kHz to 110 GHz (power sensor dependent). The unit provides four digit displays: watts, dBm, dB and percent.

The power meter is designed for bench and automatic test equipment use.

Features include: mains power supply and internal rechargeable battery; fast measurement speed - up to 200 readings/s; code compatibility with 437 B and 436 A power meters; GPIB and RS232 connector for remote control of all functions.

The power meter can be rented at TechRentals.

TechRentals Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T148

28 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

www.radiocomms.com.au

© stock.xchng/juliaf

Miniaturisation

Implanted medical devices might soon be much smaller, thanks to microbatteries.

Microbatteries a boost for electronics T

hough they’re only small, they are fierce. The most powerful batteries on the planet are only a few millimetres in size, yet they pack such a punch that a driver could use a mobile phone powered by these batteries to jump-start a dead car battery - and then recharge the phone in the blink of an eye.

Developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the new microbatteries outpower even the best supercapacitors and could drive new applications in radio communications and compact electronics.

Led by William P King, the Bliss Professor of mechanical science and engineering, the researchers published their results in the 16 April issue of Nature Communications.

“This is a whole new way to think about batteries,” King said. “A battery can deliver far more power than anybody ever thought. In recent decades, electronics have gotten small. The thinking parts of computers have gotten small. And the battery has lagged far behind. This is a microtechnology that could change all of that. Now the power source is as high-performance as the rest of it.”

High power plus high energy With currently available power sources, users have had to choose between www.radiocomms.com.au

power and energy. For applications that need a lot of power, like broadcasting a radio signal over a long distance, capacitors can release energy very quickly but can only store a small amount. For applications that need a lot of energy, like playing a radio for a long time, fuel cells and batteries can hold a lot of energy but release it or recharge slowly.

“There’s a sacrifice,” said James Pikul, a graduate student and first author of the paper. “If you want high energy you can’t get high power; if you want high power it’s very difficult to get high energy. But for very interesting applications, especially modern applications, you really need both. That’s what our batteries are starting to do. We’re really pushing into an area in the energy storage design space that is not currently available with technologies today.”

The new microbatteries offer both power and energy, and by tweaking the structure a bit, the researchers can tune them over a wide range on the powerversus-energy scale.

1000 times faster charging The batteries owe their high performance to their internal three-dimensional microstructure. Building on a novel fast-charging cathode design by materials science and engineering professor Paul Braun’s group, King and Pikul developed

a matching anode and then developed a new way to integrate the two components at the microscale to make a complete battery with superior performance.

With so much power, the batteries could enable sensors or radio signals that broadcast 30 times farther, or devices 30 times smaller. The batteries are rechargeable and can charge 1000 times faster than competing technologies - imagine juicing up a credit-card-thin phone in less than a second. In addition to consumer electronics, medical devices, lasers, sensors and other applications could see leaps forward in technology with such power sources available.

“Any kind of electronic device is limited by the size of the battery - until now,” King said. “Consider personal medical devices and implants, where the battery is an enormous brick, and it’s connected to itty-bitty electronics and tiny wires. Now the battery is also tiny.”

The researchers are working on integrating their batteries with other electronics components, as well as manufacturability at low cost.

“Now we can think outside of the box,” Pikul said. “It’s a new enabling technology. It’s not a progressive improvement over previous technologies; it breaks the normal paradigms of energy sources. It’s allowing us to do different, new things.”

May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

29

newproducts

Flexible vector signal transceivers The National Instruments PXIe-5644R/5645R vector signal transceivers (VST) are part of a class of instrumentation that combines a vector signal generator and vector signal analyser with FPGA-based real-time signal processing and control. Because of this software-designed approach, a VST features the flexibility of a software-defined radio architecture with RF instrument-class performance.

The vector signal transceiver adds a high-performance, differential or singleended I/Q interface to test both the RF and baseband signals of a device. The single instrument approach gives faster test times using the latest PC and FPGA technologies.

Product features include: 65 MHz to 6 GHz frequency range, 80 MHz instantaneous bandwidth and 24 channels of high-speed digital I/Q; baseband I/Q interface with 16-bit data sampled at 120 MS/s with up to 80 MHz of complex bandwidth, configurable as differential or single-ended; open, programmable FPGA that engineers can customise to add user-defined functionality.

Users can download prebuilt and modifiable IP for the most common applications.

National Instruments Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T302

Real-time spectrum analysers Agilent Technologies has announced the availability of realtime spectrum analysis (RTSA) for its PXA X-Series signal analysers.

Agilent’s RTSA delivers probability of intercept (POI), analysis bandwidth, sensitivity and frequency range - capabilities that enable system developers and signal analysts to see, capture and understand highly elusive signals.

In applications such as radar, electronic warfare and military communications, POI is the key benchmark for RTSA. When configured for real-time spectrum analysis, the PXA can detect intermittent signals with durations as short as 3.57 µs, which Agilent says is the best POI currently available.

To help detect more signals in less time, Agilent’s real-time PXA provides 75 dB spurious-free dynamic range across analysis bandwidths of up to 160 MHz. This enables users to place deep and wide measurements anywhere within a measurement range of 50 GHz. In addition to its sensitivity of -157 dBm at 10 GHz (no preamp), the PXA also provides the ability to vary the resolution bandwidth within a measurement span. With this combination of capabilities, users are able to resolve closely spaced signals, identify intermittent low-level signals and further improve POI. For deeper analysis and thorough characterisation of complex signals, a realtime PXA seamlessly integrates with Agilent 89600 VSA software. This combination of capabilities enables users to find the root cause of signal problems.

Agilent Technologies Aust Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T833

30 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

www.radiocomms.com.au

Emergency services

Intelligent responses

Emergency services working in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings. Credit: Aaron Tang/Wikimedia Paul Thompson, General Manager - Government & Public Safety, Motorola Solutions

H

ere’s a scenario: A thief has escaped the local petrol station after a holdup. The CCTV camera gets footage of the masked assailant’s clothing. The footage is obtained by police headquarters, which then looks for subsequent footage on CCTVs nearby to ascertain the movements following the robbery.

A camera stationed at a nearby traffic light sees the thief in a white ute heading down a main street. That footage is obtained and both videos are sent to nearby police officers, as well as the licence plate number and an image of the ute and details of whether it was stolen.

An interactive map is sent to the police officer’s in-car vehicle monitor showing the assailant’s movements so far, with real-time updates as the situation develops and more data becomes available. www.radiocomms.com.au

Equipping emergency services with intelligence data gathered from the world around them is the way of the future.

Is a scenario like this possible? Absolutely.

Technology is becoming more and more integral not only in criminal investigations, but ensuring safer cities and thriving communities more generally.

Consider these statistics for a minute.

For every homicide that occurs, a city’s population declines by an average of 70 people. And for every dollar invested in public safety, five dollars come back in the form of economic development.

Equipping those on the front line with the right technology has never been more paramount, or more logical.

And while nothing can currently replace the trusted two-way radio for resiliency and one-to-many communications, many complementary technologies are being adopted to provide our emergency

services personnel with more intelligence when and where they need it.

Data-driven responses Advances in technology in the public safety arena took a huge leap forward in 2012. Innovations in wireless data, data sharing and the advances in the devices that enable those applications saw public safety enter a new era. It’s an era of intelligence based on enormous amounts of data derived from the world around us.

The key to gathering that level of intelligence is ensuring our responders have the ability to capture, identify, analyse and distribute data seamlessly.

Data is now created everywhere - from a person’s smartphone, CCTV cameras, posts on social networks and even texts May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

31

Emergency services

Harvesting information

from the public. Command centres are now evolving into complex multimedia hubs that are required to manage, analyse and interpret data to create and enhance real-time operational views of a situation.

Tragically, times of emergency are often reminders of the importance of harnessing data to boost intelligent policing.

The recent Boston Marathon bombings showed the world not only the incredible spirit of Bostonians but also the ability of humans to work together in times of disaster.

One of the first things the FBI did in the wake of the bombings was request

that everyone who attended the marathon send in any images or videos they may have taken at the event before, during and after the explosion.

The response was immediate, and within hours the agency was flooded with images and videos. Users of websites such as Reddit, Twitter and 4chan analysed the photos and circulated the images on a far greater scale than would have been possible 10 years ago.

The FBI then released footage of the two suspects and asked for the public’s help in identifying them. The suspects were quickly tracked down and the surviving suspect caught.

Analysis of all of this data, from thousands of sources in Boston, was the key in being able to narrow down the list of suspects to just two, and was done from a central command hub.

More agencies across the world, and even in Australia, are taking notice of intelligence and video analytics, which can lead to an agency’s systems adapting instantly to various situations. These tools let them synthesise disparate information to find previously unseen patterns. Investing in the technology to utilise all this information, therefore, has never been more critical.

Public safety agencies require missioncritical networks that can evolve to deal with increased data and information sharing, and with the extra strain they are placed under in times of emergency.

Technology can be a powerful tool when harnessed in the right way, and for emergency service responders, harvesting existing communication infrastructure and integrating devices, multimedia advances, applications and analytics into actionable forms of intelligence will help ensure safer cities and a community that is both engaged and thriving.

Motorola Solutions Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/U020

MathWorks adds capabilities for MATLAB and Simulink MathWorks has announced strengthened support for wireless communications and radar design with MATLAB and Simulink. Release 2013a (R2013a) enhancements to Phased Array System Toolbox and SimRF now enable wireless communications and radar system designers to speed up modelling and simulation within the MATLAB and Simulink environments.

Phased Array System Toolbox helps users to model an end-to-end phased array system, or process acquired radar data, by using new capabilities for polarisation, array perturbations and broadband arrays. SimRF includes a new circuit envelope solver to accelerate simulation and model load time; it also expands its library of components for the simulation of RF front ends at the system level.

These enhancements help radar and communications system designers to model increasingly complex scenarios with greater accuracy and performance.

The major update to Phased Array System Toolbox includes monostatic and multistatic radar system modelling, including point targets, free-space propagation, surface clutter and barrage jammer to help estimate maximum range, peak power and SNR of a radar system. It also enables

32 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

modelling of sensor arrays and subarrays with arbitrary geometries for beam pattern analysis of linear, planar and conformal sensor arrays; polarisation and platform motion specification for arrays and targets; and GPU support to accelerate clutter modelling.

Key enhancements to SimRF include faster circuit envelope simulation of multiple carrier-frequency models for arbitrary architectures. Combined with equivalent baseband technology for discrete-time simulation of single-carrier cascaded systems, this enables rapid RF modelling and simulation at the system level.

The SimRF enhancements also bring reduced simulation start-up time and easier set-up of circuit envelope simulation with enhanced configuration block, including unlimited number of simulation frequencies and automatic selection of fundamental tones. Also included are new models for active and passive components (amplifier, mixer, LC ladder, transformer, noise), and custom SimRF model authoring using the Simscape language.

MathWorks Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T829

www.radiocomms.com.au

newproducts

Optical fibre connector Fischer Connectors, represented by Soanar in Australia and New Zealand, has released its new push-pull FibreOptic interconnecting solution designed for optical performance in extreme environments.

The Fischer FibreOptic with two (FO2) or four (FO4) optical channels is easy to clean by virtue of a removable monoblock mate adapter and via the possibility of rinsing the unmated connectors freely under water or in an ultrasound bath.

The connector has a high ingress protection of IP68 (2 m/24 hours) when mated and IP67 in unmated conditions.

In addition, the optical performance is said to be insensitive to mechanical strain on the connector.

The spring optical contacts employed allow for filtering out any stress applied to the connector housings while keeping the typical advantage of a push-pull solution.

The connector can be used in a wide range of fields in outdoor or demanding applications, such as transport and mobility, telecoms, energy, defence and security, broadcast, construction and infrastructure, and medical devices.

Key specifications: IP68 2 m/24 h mated and IP67 (1 m/30 min) unmated ingress protection; Extreme Environment FibreOptic Solution (Norm IEC 61753-1 Cat. E); multichannel (2 and 4), SM and MM optical fibres.

Soanar Limited Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T740

www.radiocomms.com.au

Spectral measurements and modulation toolkits The National Instruments Spectral Measurements and Modulation Toolkits extend the built-in analysis capability of NI LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI software.

The Spectral Measurements Toolkit provides a set of flexible spectral measurements including power spectrum, peak power and frequency, in-band power, adjacent-channel power and occupied bandwidth, as well as 3D spectrogram capabilities.

It contains virtual instruments (VIs) and functions for performing modulation-domain operations such as passband (IF) to baseband (I-Q) conversion, I-Q to IF conversion, and generation/analysis of analog modulated signals. The Modulation Toolkit can be used to develop custom applications for research, design, characterisation, validation, and test of systems and components that modulate or demodulate signals.

National Instruments Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T808

ECLIPSE 2

Superior Mission Critical Digital Products

DIGITALLY CONTROLLED POWER AMPLIFIER FM and Linear mode, Works autonomously, Closed loop software controlled.

Eclipse 2 Key Features

Product Road map Trunking Avail Q1 2013

P25 console Q1 2013

DMR Q2 2013 teir 1 & teir 2

 1000 base stations in the field  Field Proven  P25 Phase 2 capable  IP voting and networking  IP programmable features set  Software upgradable to P25 and DMR

Newest Features  Simulcast  Vocoder

Upgrade to Eclipse 2 future proofs your network RF Technology Tel 02 9484 1022

sales@rftechnology.com.au

May/Jun 2013 - RADIO COMMS

33

newproducts

INDUSTRY TALKING Much has happened for ARCIA over the last few months. On 18 April, the WA radio community came together at the historic Pagoda Ballroom of the Esplanade River Suites in Perth for the ARCIA Networking Dinner. Expanding on the theme of ‘Who is training for the future’, the evening’s speakers presented on the past, present and future of training for the industry and the challenges ahead.

Rob Howes, the ARCIA WA committee representative, spoke of training in the past and highlighted governments’ open approach to industry training. John Florenca, CEO of Omnitronics, explained how “training, recruitment and leadership” were key to business success today and it isn’t always the obvious employee who will deliver that success. And Ralph Dix, a lecturer at Midland Polytechnic in the UK, spoke of the key challenges ahead for educators and the industry.

He described how radio communication is losing its identity as it is absorbed into the IT sector, and also cited the lack of industry participation in curriculum development.

At the recent COAG meeting in Canberra, concern was raised regarding the amount of spectrum that has been allocated for the Public Safety and Mobile Broadband service. In a recent response to the discussion paper on the 803-960 MHz spectrum, ARCIA raised its concerns, and we are pleased to note that some form of review might take place. Following a recent meeting on the Overflow Capabilities subgroup of the proposed PSMB, ARCIA has been asked to consider co-chairing one of the working groups as the evaluations move ahead.

ARCIA has been recognised by ACMA and other organisations as the ‘peak industry body’ for the land mobile radio industry, which is indicative of its interest in the 803-960 MHz band. The services within this band are crucial to the effective use of LMR services and will have a direct influence on major Australian resource projects and their economic viability. In particular, trunked radio services are a critical element of resource developments; as one of the most suitable communications technologies is TETRA trunked radio, the need for 800 MHz trunking spectrum is clear.

ARCIA is pleased to note that ACMA field operations staff have recently located equipment that has been operating on UHF CB frequencies without being approved for such use under the Class Licence system. Users and suppliers should be aware that very few commercial radio models have actually been approved for use on the UHF CB band. There are specific requirements under the standard, including that radio equipment must be submitted for type approval under the UHF CB Class Licence in order to operate on those frequencies.

The next ARCIA regional dinner is planned for Brisbane in July, so visit the website, keep your eye out for the monthly newsletter or contact the committee for more updates surrounding the announcement of this event.

My thanks to Ian Miller, convener of the Spectrum and Technical Sub-committee, for his input into this issue’s column.

Christian Kelly President Australian Radio Communications Industry Association

34 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

Modular wireless headset

Dematic has released the Vocollect SRX2 wireless voice headset.

The headset’s modular design allows the headband, which is separate from the microphone, to be allocated to each operator.

There is an ability to track and manage all headsets and batteries in the DC or warehouse, which can predict battery shift life months in advance.

The wireless headset, when used with VoiceCatalyst software, is said to also provide 50% better noise reduction and a high-definition audio experience over other available headsets.

Its ruggedised yet compact design is suitable for refrigerated, high-noise and fast-moving picking environments.

Benefits include: reduced cost per operator; maximised uptime; improved user productivity; reduced maintenance costs; better voice recognition and noise reduction; enhanced ergonomics and hygiene; predictive battery life.

Dematic Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T219

Short burst data tracker The GTTS-2000B is an Iridium short burst data (SBD) battery-powered modem for tracking and tracing assets globally using the Iridium satellite network.

The Iridium and GPS antennas and battery are fully integrated into the rugged, weatherproof housing, requiring no wiring and ensuring easy installation. The optional magnet mounting onto a (ferrous) steel surface will automatically activate the unit.

The modem reports GPS location and speed at defined time intervals over the Iridium SBD network to the user’s PC/server. The reporting time intervals are controlled by an integrated motion sensor which distinguishes driving/ sailing from standing still. Reporting frequency and other settings are ‘over the air’ reconfigurable.

The product can send approximately 3650 messages from one battery.

M2M Connectivity Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T075

www.radiocomms.com.au

newproducts

Compact high-frequency amplifiers Rohde & Schwarz has added the R&S BBA150 for the microwave range to its EMC portfolio. These compact, lightweight amplifiers are optimised for high frequencies starting at 0.8 GHz. The first model in the family covers the 0.8 GHz to 3 GHz frequency band and is available with an output power ranging from 30 to 200 W. The BBA150 amplifier family covers a wide range of applications. The amplifiers can be used for EMC testing up to 3 GHz in line with common standards, for instance for EMS measurements in line with the basic EN 61000-4-3 standard and referencing product standards. Manufacturers can also use these amplifiers for nonEMC applications in component production and quality assurance. The amplifiers are suitable for research, physical engineering and communications applications as well.

The compact, modular design of the BBA150 amplifiers enables the flexible setup of complete systems. The 200 W model, for example, requires only four height units - suitable for desktop use or rack installation. These broadband amplifiers feature high availability thanks to their mismatch tolerance and ability to handle both short-circuiting at the RF end and an open RF output.

When used in combination with the BBA100, the BBA150 can take advantage of the available RF switching options. If desired, the BBA100 can act as a master to control the BBA150 and integrate it like an additional RF path. The overall system then functions as a multiband amplifier that optionally has a common RF input, common sample ports and RF switches. External switching components are unnecessary.

Depending on the set-up, the BBA150 can be manually operated via its display and buttons or it can be automatically controlled via a remote control interface or a web browser.

Rohde & Schwarz (Australia) Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T729

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35

Get involved

20-22 November 2013 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Melbourne

A

ustralia’s leading radio and combined communications conference and exhibition, RadioComms Connect, returns in 2013 as Comms Connect.

At the core of the event is still radio communications - its uses, applications and benefits. But with the convergence in communication technologies being seen - from IP to mobile broadband and more - the change in name reflects the fact that the event is not just about twoway/narrowband radio and that attendees are able to experience, firsthand, an increasingly broad range of communication technologies and solutions, both mission and business critical, in addition to what has traditionally been available.

Comms Connect 2013 will include workshops, case studies, technology sessions, panel discussions, keynotes and plenary sessions. The audience includes users from a wide range of sectors including numerous government departments, public safety agencies, transportation (rail, road), utilities, mining, and oil and gas along with communications integrators, dealers, consultants and manufacturers.

The conference organisers are now calling for industry members to submit papers, which can target specific groups of users or be more general papers with broader appeal.

A variety of workshops will be presented in 2013 with up to three hours allocated for each. If you, a colleague or 36 RADIO COMMS - May/Jun 2013

Comms Connect 2013: get involved RadioComms Connect returns in 2013 as Comms Connect, and the organisers have issued a call for papers from the industry.

your organisation would like to present, or have an idea for a workshop that you would like to be involved with, please call or email Paul Davis on 02 9487 2700 or pdavis@westwick-farrow.com.au to discuss in the first instance.

Training Workshop topics for consideration include, but are not limited to: • Infrastructures and towers • Mobile broadband and LTE • Advanced radio over IP • M2M/SCADA/Telemetry • LMR for the IT professional • Spectrum and licensing • Wireless backhaul - from microwave to IP • Public safety communications, including mobile broadband Workshops may have multiple presenters from different organisations and you may be asked to work with industry colleagues to deliver a training workshop.

Handouts, classroom-style interaction and demonstrations are expected for the workshops and materials should be available for distribution by the organisers in the week prior to the workshop to help participants prepare.

The conference will again feature case studies, and this year particular attention and priority will be given to case studies in key focus areas - see the Comms Connect 2013 website for more details.

Key points for Comms Connect 2013: • Spectrum and licensing • SCADA/M2M/Telemetry

• Backhaul - IP, microwave and everything in between • Public safety communications • LTE and mobile broadband • Business critical communications what are the most cost-effective solutions available?

• Networks and infrastructure • Applications for radio users - what are they and how can they be used?

• Underground and in-building DAS systems - available solutions and their application The organisers are seeking a broad cross-section of papers and case studies from the following sectors: • Transportation - road, rail operators, ports and airports, taxis and buses • Public safety - including all agencies and volunteer organisations • Utilities - water, gas and electricity • Resources - mining, oil and gas • Government - customs and excise, defence and military • Commercial - retail, construction, venues, health facilities etc The deadline for abstract submissions is 31 May. Notification of successful applications is 31 July and the material submission deadline is 31 October.

More information, including how to make contact with the Comms Connect 2013 team, is available on the Comms Connect 2013 website: http://comms-connect.com.au www.radiocomms.com.au

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Partnerships that last At HYTERA we are dedicated to bringing the most valuable and customised solutions to our clients.

We would like to formally recognise and welcome these valued partners, who share this vision.

KARERA COMMEX COMMUNICATION MARCOM WATSON

KARERA With over 28 years in business, KARERA have proven to be a shining light in advising and implementing flexible, tailored solutions to their clients. www.karera.com COMMEX COMMUNICATION For over 25 years Commex has been a leader in the field of wireless communications. They supply wireless products, systems and services to clients in the commercial and government sectors. www.commex.net.au MARCOM WATSON Based in Tasmania, Marcom Watson provide product support services to commercial and professional users of radio communications and marine electronics. www.marcomwatson.com.au HYTERA’s product suite has proven to be the best solution for many of the long list of clients supported by each of these partners. We look forward to our continued partnership and their ongoing success.

For all dealer enquiries, or to find out about Hytera dealers in your area, please contact Lindsay Nolland Ph: +61 (0) 409 999 917

www.wirelessdata.com.au

www.hytera.com.au

www.wirelessdata.com.au

www.hytera.com.au